WASHINGTON – Old. Confused. Corrupt. Dishonest.
Those are some of the most sensible phrases Americans use after they’re requested to explain President Joe Biden and previous President Donald Trump, the Republican best possible located to stand him in subsequent yr’s election.
Unflattering portraits of both emerge obviously in a brand new poll by means of The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which requested an open-ended query about what involves thoughts when other people bring to mind them.
For Biden, the biggest percentage of U.S. adults — together with both Democrats and Republicans — discussed his age. At 80, the Democratic president is solely 3 years older than Trump, however many Americans expressed actual considerations about his talent to proceed as president.
Trump, in the meantime, has been indicted in four cases that includes 91 overall prison counts and elicits phrases reminiscent of “corrupt” and “crooked” (named by means of 15%), along side “bad” and different usually unfavorable feedback (11%). Not a ways in the back of are phrases like “liar” and “dishonest” (8%). Another 8% presented usually certain feedback like “good,” although.
A deeper glance doesn’t reinforce issues a lot for Biden or Trump. And whilst most of the criticisms replicate a well-recognized partisan divide, the poll displays neither guy is proof against grievance from inside of his personal birthday party.
“He looks like he needs to be someone’s kindly grandpa on the arm, not someone at the wheel of power,” Justin Campbell, a 27-year-old Democrat and safety guard in the Brookhaven house of Mississippi, stated of Biden. He used to be much more unfavorable about Trump, although, announcing that the previous president “acts like a kindergartner when people tell him ‘no.’”
Campbell recommended that Trump reads so little about coverage and nationwide safety that he could be “functionally illiterate.” He stated he plans to vote for Biden subsequent yr and, “I eagerly await Donald Trump being in jail.”
Such sentiments have been commonplace. Fully 26% of respondents use phrases like “old” or “outdated” to explain Biden, and some other 15% point out such things as “slow” and “confused.”
Another 10% give usually unfavorable feedback in regards to the president, and six% use phrases like “corrupt” and “crooked.” Just 6% be offering phrases like “president” and “leader,” and 5% use the ones like “strong” and “capable” — the highest certain feedback made about Biden.
Biden’s age used to be referenced steadily even amongst Democrats, 28% of whom point out it — a considerably upper proportion than those that level to the presidency or management (11%) or power and capacity (11%).
Trump’s unfavorable feedback middle no longer on age however on his ethical status and habits, along side such things as “loudmouth” and “angry” (6%), “crazy” and “dangerous” (6%) and “narcissist” (6%). Some 5% use phrases like “strong” and “capable.”
Rami Marsha, a 58-year-old CEO of a producing corporate in Agoura Hills, California, is a registered Democrat who voted for Trump in 2016 and for Biden in 2020 — however says he’d most likely depart the presidential race portion of his poll clean if the ones two sq. off once more in 2024.
“I think he might be having some dementia, and I don’t think he has the power to run the country,” Marsha stated of Biden. But he used to be similarly blunt about Trump: “I’ve had enough of him.”
That’s a somewhat commonplace sentiment. The poll displays that most effective 24% of Americans total need to see Biden run once more, whilst 30% say the similar about Trump — and majorities say they’re reluctant to reinforce them if they’re nominated once more.
Also, 62% of Americans say they have got an negative opinion of Trump; 52% say the similar about Biden.
Biden’s reelection campaign stated the president’s age isn’t a most sensible motivator for electorate, particularly in comparison to the management’s coverage accomplishments or key problems like abortion. It additionally famous that perceptions of the president and Democrats weren’t sturdy prior to final yr’s midterms — most effective to have the birthday party defy expectations.
A Trump campaign spokesman didn’t resolution messages in the hunt for remark, however the former president has in the past used his indictments to move at the political offensive, telling supporters at rallies, “I’m being indicted for you.”
Larry Haith, a 73-year-old Idahoan and retired president and common supervisor of an auto portions company, is a Republican who described Biden for the poll as an “idiot” and known as Trump “arrogant.” He stated he does not plan on balloting for both subsequent yr.
Haith blamed Biden’s financial insurance policies for his money internet value declining a minimum of about $150,000 and stated the president “just needs to retire and get on with it.”
Though he had some kind words for Trump, Haith was also critical of the former president.
“I really like what he did, and I like the decisions that he made,” said Haith, who added that, at first, ”I actually favored that gruffness about him.” But those feelings have cooled, he said, in part because Trump has what Haith described as “a typical New York, arrogant attitude.”
“I’m not going to support him anymore,” he said. “I’m done with him.”
Annie Doerr, a 60-year-old retiree from suburban Atlanta who described herself as a moderate Republican, said of Trump, “I thought some of his policies were good for Americans, but he’s just too much of a distraction.”
Doerr had problems with the president, too, comparing him to what she had seen while caring for her 95-year-old father.
“He reminded me a lot of Biden, just things that come out of (Biden’s) mouth,” Doerr said.
“I just don’t think he’s fit to be president for four more years,” she added. ”He can have been when he first ran, however no longer now.”
The poll additionally illustrated acquainted ideological divides. It discovered that Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to make use of phrases like “slow” and “confused” to explain Biden, 25% to 7%, in addition to phrases like “corrupt” and “crooked” (14% to 0%) and “weak” or “unqualified” (9% to two%).
For Trump, in the meantime, the highest feedback amongst Republicans come with the usually certain (15%) along side such things as “strong” (11%) and mentions of America or patriotism (8%), along side mentions of the presidency or management (6%).
Even some Republicans use unfavorable phrases to explain Trump, although, together with labels reminiscent of “loudmouth” or “angry” (7%). Others mentioned arrogance or pompousness (6%), narcissism (5%) or other generally negative comments (6%).
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to cite corruption (25% to 4%) and dishonesty (12% to 4%) to describe Trump. Seven percent of Democrats mention racism, bigotry, homophobia or misogyny among their top words to describe the former president. Those words were hardly invoked by any Republicans in the poll.
Susan Grant, a 66-year-old retired office manager for a nonprofit physician membership association from Westfield, Indiana, said she sees Biden as “very weak” and doesn’t accept as true with his insurance policies. Trump, in the meantime, is “extremely divisive, and I think that’s bad for our country.”
“There’s this whole thing, in the Bible, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand,’ and all of the division that has just been promoted and pushed is just damaging to our country,” Grant stated. “I’m very conservative with values, with economic things. But, personally, I don’t think Trump’s a very good person.”
Grant described herself as a “hold your nose” Trump voter twice before. If he’s the GOP nominee against Biden, she said, “I probably would do it a third time. But I would not be happy.”
“I’m also wondering if it’s what we need for a third party,” Grant stated. “Maybe it’s the frenzy. I don’t know.”
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The poll of one,165 adults used to be carried out Aug. 10-14, 2023, the usage of a pattern drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be consultant of the U.S. inhabitants. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 proportion issues.